Frontonio 2019 Microcosmico Macabeo 750ml

The unoaked white 2019 Microcósmico Macabeo, from old vines matured in concrete, wants to be a pure and direct Macabeo. It was a warm and early harvest in 2019, and they picked the grapes earlier; they also didn't use any sulfur until bottling; and they removed the part they used to age in oak, so the wine is purer and more delineated. The grapes come from a vineyard halfway between Campo de Borja and Épila, 10 hectares of 60-year-old vines on limestone, clay and rocky soils. This has the seriousness of the Macabeo, not an aromatic grape but a variety that shows quite transparently the character of the soil, and in this case, the chalky texture of the palate. It has the classical bitter twist in the finish, which is long and tasty. This is a harmonious, very young, pure Macabeo (Viura). 18,200 bottles produced. It was bottled after six months in concrete with lees in March 2020.

Score: 92+ points -- Luis Gutierrez, The Wine Advocate, 2020